Peace Education – Page 7 – Teach Peace Build Peace Movement

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: A day of fun, a day of giving peace a chance to the children of Marawi

“…in an area where conflict is usually knocking at the back of the door; where bullets and missiles are real and not just seen on TV…” then, the only way to have peace is to teach peace.

Marawi, February 2-3, 2018. Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) Kapatiran Schools, Balo-i Central Elementary School and Saguiaran Central Elementary School in Lanao del Sur; and Sugod Central Elementary School and Camp Bagong Amai Pakpak Elementary School in Marawi City had a Peace Fun Day wherein almost 1,500 learners ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 6 received peace gifts; experienced and were taught about peace in a fun-exciting way.

The resounding voices of the learners as they give rhythm to Kapayapaan ‘peace’ served as the organization’s inspiration of shedding peace, love and positivity through a Peace Fun Day, a two to three-hour peace education session that gives emphasis on peace as a way of life, in an area where conflict is usually knocking at the back of the door; where bullets and missiles are real.

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“Nothing could replace the happiness our learners felt in the care of these peace champions. Alhamdulillah, they have got more than Psychological First Aid Sessions”, words of Teacher Mona Miscille Domato, an I TECAH PEACE Champion from Sugod Central Elementary School. Beyond the material things, we want to give hope to the children that peace is possible and attainable. More than making our dearest Brothers and Sisters happy, we want to teach and inculcate them that as young as they are they can contribute to peace building and key to sustainable peace is in their own hands.

Its all about peace

As an organization that spearheads the Peace Education programs for children both in conflict and non-conflict zones, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) Inc. uses innovative and creative strategies such as Music and Movement, Arts, Games, Sports and Service. Giving premium to the peace-values based activities using the I TEACH PEACE Learning Resources crafted by fellow Peace Heroes is Teach Peace Build Peace Movement’s exemplars when conducting peace activities, and nonetheless epitomized during the Peace Fun Day.

Art was surely used to distinctly used for peace. To process the thoughts and ideas of the learner, a SketchPad Project was launched in Sugod Central Elementary School Camp Bagong Pakpak Elementary School. The SketchPad Project serves as a learners’ visual diary wherein it will be given to them and collected after 6 months. Further, as part of the TPBPM’s peace visibility, a peace mural in the Kapatiran Schools were also created.

As a means to end the said activity in every schools, hope kits, stuffed toys, hygiene kits and malongs were given to the learners. These are from individuals, institutions and other sectors of the society, who believed and trusted in the advocacy of the organization, and thus wants to share some act of kindness to our children, brothers and sisters in Marawi.

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Despite the challenging realities that are happening in our society, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement family is determined to reach and to teach peace to more children, and live it as a way of life. Then, there is no right time than today to teach peace – to ‘teach peace to build a culture of peace in order to create a different generations of peace builders towards our goal of a just and peaceful society.’ Insha Allah.

Teach Peace Build Peace Movement is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization that aims to make every Filipino Child and Youth a peace builder. The organization spearheads a strategic initiative running Peace Education programs for children in conflict and non-conflict zones using a holistic approach. The said schools are all part of the TPBPM’s Schools and Communities of Peace Heroes Formation (SCPHF) Program, which is a holistic peace education program that was designed to apply creative and innovative ways and approaches in teaching about knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behavior towards a Culture of Peace. It aims to bring about behavioral change that prevents the transformation of conflict into violence and war.

February 5, 2018 / by MA. SOTEYA APRYLL TRASADAS

Close Encounters: Paul Formaran

Being part of the Communications Team that is responsible for communicating TPBPM’s mission, message and other campaigns, I want to relay a message that advocating for peace is what matters most at this very moment – it is both timely and relevant, and is not meant to be cliché nor vague. Experience wise I am helping the movement in producing text and photo-essays, and short videos documenting the program’s activities with the goal of promoting the project and peace advocacy that we have. Based on this context, I get to experience SCPHFP by interviewing the children, parents, and teachers. As I speak to them, I realized that SCPHFP has given them tools for cultivating inner peace, and hope for their future.

The communities SCPHFP serves have often felt neglected and forgotten. Ever since I started to interview, a lot of testimonials and stories were shared with me, of how they struggle in facing the different kinds of conflicts in their community. In Maguindanao, there was Saad, who at 14-years old was shot and severely wounded, and while recovering from life-saving surgery, showed great empathy for his assailant. There was also Saad’s schoolmate, a girl whose name escapes me right now, who made me realize that understanding and acceptance between Muslims and Christians should go both ways; elder leaders in both religions have a lot to work on regarding the biases and negative stereotypes they impart to children.

Then what is it for TPBPM? Our movement then set up the Kapatiran Program, which generates the idea of ‘It is not one-size-fits-all’ – this basically describes the TPBPM’s SCPHFP; wherein the program’s design is contextualized and localized depending on the needs to of the communities. More importantly, this program is not one-and-done training and seminars rather, the program lets community-members feel that volunteer facilitators really care for them. The community members in Maguindanao, shared that the only ties they received help, in the form of relief goods and public infrastructures, is after the tragedy strikes. After they disappear from the national news, aid organizations and the national government forget about them. After the first time TPBPM visited, they thought it was the last and only time we’d ever visit. Since then, they act less like they are isolated; they know we are looking out for them, ready to help. And since the formation sessions, they seem more lively, and their stories tell me they’re better emotionally equipped to handle a crisis.

Teachers say more students go to school regularly, more parents enroll their children. It seems they are less afraid of violent conflict interrupting their daily lives, although still aware of it.

Through the SCPHFP may we have more schools to serve and in the long-term ordeal, the institutionalization of peace education programs in our country. These stories and little victories within the schools and communities that we serve gave me hope. Before I end, I would like to leave a message of appreciation and recognition to Hadji Salik Kalaing Elementary School, Tatak Elementary School both in Maguindanao; Mahalika Elementary School in Maharlika Village, Taguig City; and, Sapang Uwak Elementary School in Porac Pampanga, we are all proud of you. Thank you and may you continue to support us in helping your school become a real peaceful place, and until then you too can share it with each and everyone.

November 5, 2017 / by Ate Badet

Homeless but not Hopeless: A Peace Mission Reflection

Peace Mission Reflection by Glendford Lumbao

Got a chance to visit 3 evacuation centers (2 in Iligan, 1 in Lanao Del Norte) last weekend.

When we arrived at the first evacuation center, I was stunned. The population was overwhelming. As a facilitator, my task was to gather the kids, sing, clap, play with them, and teach them art, but there’s a voice inside of me saying “Mag docu nalang kaya ako” because the place was overcrowded and I personally don’t know how and where to start. Also, I’m a bit scared to start a conversation with the kids because of the language barrier; I can’t understand Maranao or Bisaya.

A few minutes later, heaven shed tears.

The sound of heavy rain hitting the metal roof echoes and we have no lapel microphones or megaphones to amplify our voices. We prepared several games for kids, unfortunately, there’s a limited space for us in the gymnasium and we can’t go out in the field because of the current weather condition. We struggled. But under any circumstances, my excuses are nothing compared to what these people went through. These people are displaced, with insufficient food, water, and clothes. These people are in pain, sadness, loneliness, or in fear. Who am I to complain about inconvenience?

So we walked inside, gathered and kids, and started our psycho-social activities. A few hours later, the sun smiles, like the smile on their faces, as they receive our gifts – a piece of Hope.

A rainbow appeared that day.On our second day, We visited another evacuation center, located at Balo-I, Lanao Del Norte (just 18km away from Marawi), and there, I met a child named Jonn Jonn, around 7 to 9 years old. Before the incident, he lives near Mindanao State University. Now he’s living in an empty field-turned-evacuation center, together with the other victims of the Marawi siege.

On our second day, We visited another evacuation center, located at Balo-I, Lanao Del Norte (just 18km away from Marawi), and there, I met a child named Jonn Jonn, around 7 to 9 years old. Before the incident, he lives near Mindanao State University. Now he’s living in an empty field-turned-evacuation center, together with the other victims of the Marawi siege.

As part of our psycho-social peacebuilding activity, we ask the kids to draw their answers to the questions we’ve prepared. There’s this one question from the module I was using; “Ano ang nagpapawala ng takot mo/nagpapalakas ng loob mo?” Jonn jonn drew himself, lying in a bed. He explained to me that whenever he’s afraid, he goes to his bed and hides under his blanket… Now, he is sleeping on a cold and concrete floor. Sack of rice as his pillow, tarpaulin as his blanket. The siege took away his refuge, his comfort zone, but definitely, not his hope.

“Gusto ko maging pulis!” Homeless but not hopeless.

After distributing stuffed toys, bracelets, peace notes, art kits, hygiene kits, and some snacks, Jonn jonn saw empty carton boxes from our van and asked for it;

“Akin nalang po, gagawin kong higaan”

When we are about to leave the center, he asked me another question; “Babalik pa kayo bukas?” “Dito nalang po kayo matulog kasi ma-mmiss namin kayo” he added. My heart, shattered.

On our last day in Iligan, we visited another evacuation center. A Madrasah – with two halls, two rooms each – the new home of 180 families (originally lives in Gimba, Marawi City). We distributed the remaining goods we had.

Our brothers and sisters affected by the siege are in need of food, clean water, shelter…and especially, prayers.

#WeAreOneWithMarawi #TeachPeaceBuildPeaceMovement #ServeThePeople

June 25, 2017 / by GLENDFORD LUMBAO

Maguindanao Peace Mission 2016

Last September 2016, we began our journey of creating schools and communities of peace heroes through the SCPHF Program. Seventeen (17) volunteers went to Mamasapano, Maguindanao to conduct different activities which include peace mural painting, sketchpad project workshop, peace gifts distribution, peace play cafe with children, kwentuhan session ( assessment) with the teachers, parents, religious leaders, youth and community leaders.

We also launched the Schools and Communities of Peace Heroes Formation Program in Tatak Elementary School and Hadji Salik Elementary School and a Peace Hero Hub ground-breaking in Hadji Salik Kalaing ES in partnership with JCI PHILIPPINES.

We aim to build a Culture of Peace One Child, One Family, One School and One Community at a time.

Be part of our family of peace heroes and know how you can be part of building a Culture of Peace through pro-active citizenship peacebuilding. Sign-up here http://bit.ly/tpbpmvolreg.

Peace Mission 2016 partners:
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, DepED ARMM, ARMM-HEART, 6th Infantry Division, 40th Infantry Battalion, 524 Engineering Brigade, Create and Learning Paths School, Municipality of Mamasapano.

Special Thanks to:
Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation ( PSACC), UNIPIPE Phils.

Video by : Charley Sta. Maria (CSM)

September 30, 2016 / by Ate Badet

Category: Peace Education

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: A day of fun, a day of giving peace a chance to the children of Marawi

Its all about peace

Close Encounters: Paul Formaran

Homeless but not Hopeless: A Peace Mission Reflection

“Gusto ko maging pulis!” Homeless but not hopeless.

Maguindanao Peace Mission 2016

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